Thorowe bounte of hym that formed all folace: The father, the fon, and the holy goste 215 it I have placed the foregoing poem of SKELTON'S before the following extract from HAWES, not only because it was written firft, but because I think SKELTON is in general to be confidered as the earlier poet; many of his poems being written long before HAWES's Graunde Amour. THE X. TOWER OF DOCTRINE. The reader has here a fpecimen of the defcriptive powers of STEPHEN HAWES, a celebrated poet in the reign of Hen. VII. tho' now little known. It is extracted from an allegorical poem of his (written in 1505.) intitled, "The Hift. of Graunde Amoure & La Belle Pucel, called the "Palace of Pleasure, &c." 4to. 1555. See more of Hawes in Ath. Ox. v. 1. p. 6. and Warton's Obferv. v. 2. p. 105. He was alfo author of a book, intitled, "The Temple "of Glass. Wrote by Stephen Hawes, gentleman of the "bedchamber to K. Henry VII." Pr. for Caxton, 4to. no date. The following Stanzas are taken from Chap. III. and IV. of the Hift. above-mentioned. "How Fame departed "from Graunde Amour and left him with Governaunce and "Grace, and howe he went to the Tower of Doctrine, "&c."-As we are able to give no fmall lyric piece of Hawes's, the reader will excufe the infertion of this extract. I Loked I Loked about and faw a craggy roche, Farre in the west neare to the element, And as I dyd then unto it approche, Upon the toppe I fawe refulgent The royal tower of MORALL Document, Made of fine copper with turrettes fayre and hye, That for the very perfect bryghtnes What of the tower, and of the cleare sunne, Of that palaice, whereas Doctrine did wonne : Then to the tower I drewe nere and nere, 5 10 And often mufed of the great hyghnes Of the craggy rocke, which quadrant did appeare: Was all about,) fexangled doubtles; 15 Gargeyld with grayhoundes, and with many lyons, 20 Made of fyne golde; with divers fundry dragons *. The little turrets with ymages of golde About was fet, whiche with the wynde aye moved With propre vices, that I did well beholde About the tower, in fundry wyfe they hoved 25 * Grey bounds, Lions, Dragons, were at that time the royal supporters. V. 25. towers. PC. That That with the wynd they pyped a daunce The toure was great of marveylous wydnes, 30 A grece there was ychefyld all of stone Up to the toure, and in lykewyse dyd I Wyth bothe the Grayhoundes in my company *: 35 Tyll that I came unto a ryall gate, Where I fawe stondynge the goodly Portres, Whyche axed me, from whence I came a-late; To whome I gan in every thynge expreffe All myne adventure, chaunce, and busyneffe, And eke my name; I tolde her every dell: Whan fhe herde this she lyked me right well. Her name, fhe fayd, was called COUNTENAUNCE; *This alludes to a former part of the Poem. V. 44. befy courte. PC. V. 49. partyes. PC. 40 45 Of * Of whyche there flowed foure ryvers ryght clere, I dyd than taste the aromatyke lycoure, The flore was paved with berall clarified, 50 55 60 65 70 That treated well of a ful noble story, Of the doubty waye to the Tower Perillous † ; Howe a noble knyght should wynne the victory Of many a ferpente foule and odious. XI. THE CHILD OF ELLE, is given from a fragment in the Editor's folio MS: which, tho extremely defective and mutilated, appeared to have fo much merit, that it excited a ftrong defire to attempt a completion of the ftory. The Reader will easily discover the fupplemental fianzas by their inferiority, and at the fame time be inclined to pardon it, when he confiders how difficult it must be to imitate the affecting fimplicity and artless beau• ties of the original. CHILD was a title fometimes given to a knight. See Gloff. ON yonder hill a caftle standes With walles and towres bedight, And yonder lives the Child of Elle, A younge and comely knighte. And stood at his garden pale, Whan, lo! he beheld fair Emmelines page |